The Fourteenth Of February
by HigherSilver
Summary: ...It's a day to fall in love. After a friendly bet turns him into her date for the evening, Ferb and Isabella are about to have a very interesting Valentine's Day... because we don't know what's going to happen next! A round-robin style collaboration by the Ferbellas: HigherSilver, TheCartoonFanatic01, Spazzumtard, veebeejustte, LaptopWriter22, Weird Heart, and Lilly-Belle.
1. HigherSilver I

**Hiya! This is the one and only HigherSilver speaking, and self-proclaimed Ferbella Princess, although I'm sure that's up for debate. Anyway, welcome to the first ever Ferbella round-robin, featuring all your favorite authors: TheCartoonFanatic01, Spazzumtard, veebeejustte, LaptopWriter22, Weird Heart, and Lilly-Belle. Oh, and me. Anyway, the way this works is that each author writes a chapter... based only on what's already been written. That's right... no collaboration, just combination. Enjoy!**

**- Silver**

* * *

"Because Valentine, or Valentinus, was actually the name of more than one saint, historians believe they are all celebrated during Valentine's Day. We can trace our own celebrations back to a pagan festival where…"

Isabella wasn't paying any attention at all to Mrs. Lipton, her windbag of a history teacher, or her lecture. She was busy doodling hearts inside of her notebook. Valentine's day. It was only two days away. Valentine's Day was Isabella's absolute favorite holiday. She wasn't sure why, but it must have to do with the explosion of pink all over Danville, or the warmth it brought to winter, or it might have to do with the fact that it was all about love. The fourteenth of February was that one day a year when giving somebody a mushy card or sneaking a kiss was romantic, not lame.

And who knew more about love than Isabella Garcia-Shapiro? She had been completely and totally in love for about seventy-five percent of her life; which was a lot when you took into account the fact that she was only seventeen. With the same person all this time.

Isabella sighed. Why, oh why, did Phineas have to be so clueless when it came to her? The boy could figure out everything from quantum physics to Latin, and yet he didn't know his best friend had a crush on him. The problem with being in love with one boy like Phineas all your life was that she never really knew what it was like to spend Valentine's Day with a boy who really was romantic.

"Isabella!" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to her right side, where Baljeet was sitting, with a fairly irritated look on his face. "Are you even listening?"

She sighed. "Not really."

The bell rang just at that moment. It was her lunch period. Isabella gathered her things, and watched as her Indian friend left in a huff. She rolled her eyes. As if anything mentioned today was important. The single thing Lipton had said that stuck in her mind was that Saint Valentine wrote the world's first valentine when he was in prison, presumably to the jailor's daughter.

Isabella made her way outside, to the swing set. The swing set was a peculiar blot on the Danville High campus. For some reason, the high school, of all places, had a very old swing set, with just two old swings, in the back yard of the school. No one really knew its back story. Some said it was supposed to go to an elementary school. Some said the high school was built over an old school, and it was that school's swing set. Some said it was haunted. And some just thought it was normal… because Danville could get sort of weird. But, for whatever reason, there was a tarnished old metal swing set at her high school.

Isabella personally loved it. It was the best spot in the world for straight-up thinking. And there was something so fun and innocent about swinging as high as she could, like a little girl again. Generally, the thing was swamped with half the school, but not now. Not in February. People were too comfortable in the heated cafeteria. Isabella didn't really mind. There was no snow on the ground right now, and sometimes she liked the feeling of the cold biting at her nose and ears. So she sat, swinging, back and forth, by herself.

What was she thinking about? Still old Saint Valentine. Now that was a love story! And maybe Saint Valentine was more than just a random dude clumped together with some namesakes into a holiday. Writing a love letter, in jail of all places? That was romantic.

Guys today weren't romantic at all. She could still picture Baljeet snapping at her because of schoolwork. Oh, and Buford, nobody could ever consider a boy who would enter an eating contest, win, then eat the whole dang ribbon, romantic! As far as Phineas went… sure, he might be able to plan romantic dates for other people, but he had yet to do so for himself.

Isabella pulled a granola bar from her pocket and chewed it as she swung slowly. She wasn't in the mood to eat when it was so cold out. She didn't notice a boy sit down next to her on the other swing until she was finished with it.

"Oh, Ferb!" She said. "You scared me!"

He gave her a little apologetic nod in return. They sat in silence, their feet just barely dangling over the ground. After several minutes, Ferb piped up. "Why do you come and sit here in the cold, alone?"

Isabella turned towards him. "I don't know. I love the old swings, but when it's warm, they're never available." He nodded again. "Do you remember?" She asked. "When I had to get my 'twenty-four hours of silence' patch, and I told you that I finally, like, GET you? Well, sometimes, I want that feeling. Just thinking to myself."

After a few more minutes of silence, Ferb spoke again. "What is the topic of today's inner dialogue, then?"

Isabella sighed. "Valentine's Day. And all I could think about, after that history class, is how stupid and unromantic today's guys are." She noticed by the look on his face that was at least somewhat offensive. "I don't mean it personally. But, guys today are so full of crap when it comes to things like Valentine's Day. Between the cheapo chocolate and factory-made store-bought cards, it couldn't be less heartfelt. Unless you're talking about one of those guys who doesn't even realize romance exists." She said bitterly. "To them it's just February 14, a normal day. I'm practically happy that I don't have a stupid date for Valentine's Day."

"No, you're not." He said simply.

"What? I so am!" She said indignantly.

"If you were truly happy without a date, you wouldn't need to use the excuse that men are too mundane for you."

Isabella's mouth fell open. Was he serious? "Ferb, this has nothing to do with me. I'm making an all-around statement: today's boys are not romantic. Period."

Ferb was quiet for a while again, absent-mindedly rocking on his swing. "I bet I could prove you wrong."

"You bet?" Isabella giggled.

"Yes. I bet that I can give you the best Valentine's Day you ever had, and prove that the male race is not too lost for redemption."

"Okay…" Isabella said. "But if you lose, you become my slave for a month! You have to do anything I say!" This prize could be used in so many ways for her. She could force him to build her anything, cook for her, even back off and give her some Phineas time!

Ferb nodded. "Agreed. But if you lose…"

The bell rang, and lunch period was over. Ferb hopped off his swing, slung his backpack around his shoulders, and walked towards the school.

"Wait!" Isabella called. "What do I have to do if I lose?"

He turned back towards her, smiled to himself, and shook his head.

"FERB!"

* * *

**And it begins! Next up is the lovely Weird Heart! Stay tuned!**


	2. Weird Heart

**Hey, there, everybody! I hope you all are as excited for this story as we, the writers, are. I could not have asked to be part of a round robin with better authors, and writing this little Ferbella collab for your Valentine's Day pleasure is just too cool. Thanks for reading!**

**Stay odd, and remember,  
To be odd is one of the greatest pleasures that life offers.  
-Weird Heart**

* * *

Isabella stewed irritably in her thoughts for the rest of the day. She didn't like being challenged, even by- especially by- her friends. When she was challenged, something just reared up inside her and she had to accept. It was who she was… to put it nicely, leadership-oriented. To put it not as nicely, a bit of a control-freak. Though, she wasn't as bad as some of the girls she knew, that was for absolute certain.

In any event, Ferb hadn't just presented any challenge. He presented one too good for any girl to resist. The prospect of a completely romantic, utterly utopian, Valentine's Day was every girl's dream.

She really was torn. On one hand, she had a feeling deep down that of all the boys she knew, Ferb would be the one to rise up to an occasion such as this. This both excited and frightened her. After all, she had always wanted an idyllic, romantic Valentine's Day with a guy who actually made an effort. But what if Phineas came to his senses tomorrow and asked her to be his Valentine and she had to turn him down because she had plans with his brother? No. She didn't want to even think about that possibility. As interesting as Ferb's proposal was, she just couldn't risk it. She'd have to talk to him and call the whole thing off. There had to be a million girls who were dying to spend Valentine's Day with the local British stud. He'd definitely be able to find another date.

And, if Phineas didn't ask her… well, it wouldn't be the first February 14th she spent alone.

She was startled out of her thoughts by the bell. Gathering her things quickly, she dashed out the door. She would just make a quick stop at her own locker, and then go talk to Ferb at his. She built up her resolve as she approached her locker.

"Come on, Isabella, it's for Phineas!" she muttered to herself.

She tried to shove her feelings of doubt away, but she was temporarily distracted by a crowd of 10 or 15 girls swarming around a locker… her locker.

"What's going on?" she demanded, shoving her way through the throng.

"Oh, Isabella, you're so lucky," gushed a girl Isabella didn't know. Similar comments came from various others. When she finally reached her locker, she realized what they were all swooning over.

In the grate of her locker door, someone had woven a rose through the slits. Just above it was a note handwritten in a slanted messy print that while not beautiful, was somehow endearing.

_Isabella,_

_This is just the beginning. Wait until it's actually Valentine's Day. I think you'll like what I have planned._

_With love,_

_Ferb_

It was simple, thoughtful, and immeasurably sweet. It barely occurred to Isabella to wonder where he had procured the rose. But then again, she reminded herself, it was Ferb.

This was exactly what she had feared. The lighthearted yet endlessly caring gesture was something most girls- including, though it pained her to admit it, herself- would die for. It was just a little attention, a reminder that he was thinking of her, but reading it melted every ounce of resolve she had managed to stir up within her.

She couldn't deny it- Ferb had officially earned her Valentine's Day. She sighed. Phineas Flynn would just have to wait another year.

He was off to such a good start; Isabella feared what she would be subject to if she lost. He was such a gentleman, he wouldn't ask too much of her, would he? But what if he did? He'd certainly have the right to.

There was no way she was going to leave this bet to chance. Two could play at this game. If Ferb was going to jump right in, then so was she.

If the point of the bet was to prove how romantic or unromantic guys are, she needed to take another approach.

Throughout her two years of high school, she had learned one thing from various, fruitless dates with different guys. It was awfully hard for them to be romantic when she looked drop-dead gorgeous. They mostly spun out cliché crap and more than a few of them were hoping for a bit of after-dinner action. So not romantic.

There was her solution. She was going to pull out the one card she had over Ferb- her feminine charm. Come tomorrow, she was going to look so absolutely sexy that Ferb would forget what the bet was about in the first place. She smiled impishly.

"Hit me with your best shot, man of action."

* * *

**Psst. It's Silver. My own review: OMG, ****Sexy Isabella vs. Sexy Ferb?**** This is about to get super interesting. What's your review? Be sure to send some PMs to Weird Heart too. Next up is veebeejustte!**


	3. veebeejustte I

**Hey, it's Vee. I don't know what else to say here, other than the fact that I'm incredibly psyched to be part of this collaboration. I felt like we needed a bit from Ferb's perspective, and Phineas is actually the most in-character when I write him, thus the first part. Um, that's it, I think. Thank you!**

* * *

Ferb had it all planned out. He wasn't about to tell anyone, but he had it all planned out. He started writing his next note:

_Isabella,_

What to put after that? Think, Ferb, think. Try to remember something that she wouldn't expect you to...

An image popped into his head- a dark blue-purple stone embossed into a silver pendant. Gorgeous. Where had he seen it? Then he remembered, and continued writing.

_You looked beautiful today. I know you wear similar clothing every day, but I noticed you had a new necklace. I like it, it matches your eyes. A nice indigo; it went surprisingly well with your pink cardigan._

_Meet me at the ice cream shop on Main Street. I believe your favorite flavor is peppermint, no?_

_I'm still warming up. The rest of your day will be for you. You will be all I think of._

_With love,_  
_Ferb_

Perfect, he thought, mulling it over. If only my handwriting was more elegant. Then he realized that he had just used the sign-off "with love" in his last message. Ever the perfectionist, he decided to turn it into a sort of gag, he added, "With more love than I gave last time".

"Cheesy," he sighed. "Isabella would never buy it." In defeat, he erased it completely (luckily, he hadn't gone over it in ink yet), and wrote "Hope to see you there". He inked over it, drew some pictures of roses and hearts, and attached another rose to it. Finally satisfied, he-

"Wow, you really like her, don't you?" Phineas exclaimed, causing Ferb to jump in fright. He realized Phineas was just three inches away from his head, and immediately stood up.

"Phineas," he replied as suavely as he could. "It's just a bet!"

"Don't be that way, I can tell. You blush whenever I say Isabella's name."

Ferb could feel his cheeks heat up even as Phineas spoke. "As does she when she hears your name."

"Pfft, right," Phineas rolled his eyes. "Because everyone loves a pointy-nosed ginger kid. Come on, Ferb! Everyone knows you're the one with the girls."

He didn't even say it cynically. It was really just a fact to him- Ferb gets girls, Phineas doesn't. End of story.

"That is not the case with Isabella," Ferb enunciated sternly, "She told me herself. She is in love with you."

Phineas looked as if Ferb was speaking some foreign language, "But I don't know if I love her like that. I mean, don't get me wrong, Isabella's great, but I can't really see myself with her. Perhaps someone a little less... Enthusiastic, I guess."

Ferb snorted, "That's one word for it. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with her. Just feels right. Not right like Vanessa, with flowers and slo-mo and stuff. More like Mum and Dad. Realistically, I could see us working."

"Ha!" Phineas raised his hands in triumph. "You admit it!"

Ferb put his face into his hands, "Fine. You win. It's a lost cause at this point anyway, I think. She's set on dating you."

"Well," Phineas replied. "Would it help if maybe I told her I wasn't interested?"

"You kidding?" Ferb asked. "An ambitious, conniving person like Isabella? That'd make it worse. If anything, it would be if you asked her out, or better yet..."

"What?" Phineas remarked, having been left hanging.

What if she thought he was one of those guys she so much despised at Valentine's Day?

"Alright, Phin, I have an idea..."

* * *

The next day, Isabella was walking to the ice cream shop Ferb had directed her to. He was going to be so shocked when he saw her! Every last detail of her attire and makeup was perfected from the moment she woke up. Sure, her legs were cold in her short black skirt, and maybe she was a little uncomfortable with the idea of wearing a tube top at all (much less in February), but she reminded herself that it would all be worth it when Ferb started tripping over his words.

She had done her best not to look like a slut; that would not be good for her rep at all. Other than the shirt, it wasn't actually that bad. Sexy? Totally. But nothing that would embarrass her. She checked her face in her compact mirror just one more time, to make sure that nothing had gone askew. The shop was right in front of her.

She entered, and immediately saw Ferb, greeting her with a gentlemanly smile. "Hello, Bella."

Isabella took off her jacket and sat down.

Ferb's mouth opened and his eyes bugged out. Lust, no doubt.

"Hey, Ferb," Isabella said as flirtatiously as she could muster. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Ferb sat dumbfounded for a moment. "Uh... You too." Snap out of it, Ferb. She's using you. Say something romantic.

"Thank you for coming. I was scared for a moment there. I'm glad you think I am worthy of your attention."

Isabella smirked. Ooh, he was good. "You didn't trust I would be here? That wouldn't be very romantic, would it?"

Ferb was looking right there. She could tell, and she wasn't completely sure she hated it.

"No, I suppose I would have won by default. You look very... Pretty, by the way," Ferb had gone into that compliment so confident, and ended it like such a stereotypical unromantic guy. He sighed in defeat.

Isabella knew she had the upper hand. "Pretty. Such a vague word. Are you even paying attention to me, Ferb? Or do you just wanna get in bed with me?"

Ferb jerked his head up to her face. He was still distracted, but at least he could find words, "Your skin is absolutely flawless today. Even as most teenagers are plagued by acne, you remain untouched. Your eyes were done perfectly. They are beautiful by themselves, but with the liner, they really pop and light up your whole face like two sapphires. I'm quite surprised your lips haven't gotten chapped, it's winter. Mine are so dry. What brand do you use?"

Well, they do say love's a battlefield.

Isabella blinked. She blinked again. Ferb gave his typical drop-dead hot, devilish smile. Finally, in defeat, she asked, "What was that?"

Ferb kept smiling. "It didn't work."

Isabella stared down at the table. "I noticed." She wanted to punch someone, for one does not simply outwit Isabella, lest she unleash her fury.

"Your ice cream's melted, by the way. Would you like me to buy you another?" He looked right into her eyes, as innocent as ever.

"Aw, that's so sweet," she said instinctively, before she could put her guard up. She hadn't even noticed the no longer frozen dessert sitting in front of her, and now she was double beat. Triple, if you count yesterday, she thought to herself.

The sad thing was, Ferb really was a sweetheart. A hot, word-smithing, lovable, British, sweetheart. And she wanted to tear him limb from limb and kiss him all over. Or perhaps both at the same time. Either way, this was war. Official war.

* * *

**It's Silver again! My notes will always be on the bottom, for future reference. Nice to read a chapter from Ferb's point-of-view, huh? Remember to review and to send PMs to veebeejustte. I now pass the baton to Spazzumtard. Keep reading!**


	4. Spazzumtard I

**Hello everybody! This is such a fun project to work on. I am super excited to see the other author's chapters, both before and after mine. Like Vee, I added some Ferb POV but this time it's at the end. And I'm kind of proud of how easy this chapter came to me. I had it written nearly the same day that the last chapter was posted, which is quite an accomplishment with a two-year-old running around begging for constant attention.**

**Kudos to all the authors who are a part of this collaboration. And extra kudos to Higher Silver for coming up with this idea. :)**

* * *

Isabella huffed and slammed the door to her bedroom. Today was supposed to be her day to win, but it hadn't worked. Again! Ferb was such a…was he even human? And then Phineas, the jerk… Okay, Phineas wasn't a jerk. He actually let that freshman down pretty nicely, but since when did he not like Valentine's Day? Or maybe he just didn't want the girl to think he liked her back? Yes, Isabella decided. That was it. Phineas has to love Valentine's Day. He has to—it was her favorite holiday after all.

But that doesn't explain why he said what he did after the freshman left.

_**Earlier that day:**_

Isabella took a deep breath, mentally prepping herself as she walked into the school. She didn't know what she was thinking, but she had to beat him. Or else he would have her do…

Darn it! She forgot to ask him yesterday at the ice cream shop what she would have to do if she lost! She wanted to smack her forehead, but she was at school and she didn't want to look like an idiot.

There was no note at her locker this morning. She was expecting more notes from Ferb. _Although,_ she figured, _I guess I shouldn't be surprised if he's trying to be romantic. A note every day would get boring_. She opened her locker and put her textile bag (a handmade book bag she got as a gift from her relatives in Mexico) inside. Someone leaned up against a neighbor locker. She looked over. It was Ferb, of course. And he had that stupid cocky grin on his face. She wanted to smack it off.

_Or kiss it off_, an inner voice suggested, but she viciously killed it with an imaginary juicer.

"Hello Ferb," she said with grin. "What brings you here this morning?"

"School," was his answer.

Isabella rolled her eyes and started unbuttoning her coat. Maybe _this_ time her outfit would work. She wished she had been able to come up with a better idea to try and make him stumble, but nothing came to mind except, _Well, he was flustered with that slightly more conservative outfit, maybe something a little more revealing?_

He shifted and put a hand into his jacket pocket. "Actually, I found something on our way home yesterday and I thought of you." He pulled out a butterfly hair clip. Her hands froze and she gaped at it. It was beautiful! It was blue and black and so realistic looking, like it could just flutter out of Ferb's hand. He lifted his free hand and pulled some of her hair back, securing the clip above her ear. Then he deliberately let his hand trail down her cheek. She couldn't help the blush that spread across her face.

"Th-thank you. It is beautiful." She raised a hand to the butterfly, lightly touching the soft fabric of the wings. She looked at his face again and… There was that smirk again! She wanted to huff, but reminded herself that she had a plan. It was a revamped version of yesterday's plan, but she wasn't going to wear a skirt in the cold again, even if that skirt wasn't as short as some of her summer ones.

She finished unbuttoning her coat and took it off as casually as she could, but it was still obvious that it was a show. Her tank-top had really loose straps so the collar fell low on her chest, to the point where anyone taller than her could see the edges of her bra if they looked down, and one of the straps had fallen down her shoulder from the motion of removing her coat. Coupled with her low-rise jeans, which left about a half-inch of her midriff showing, she thought she'd get quite the reaction from Ferb. She could see some of the male students gaping at her out of the corner of her eye and was expecting a similar expression from him.

Ferb didn't look shocked though. He didn't look impressed or flustered. Instead he had frowned…? Isabella was confused. She thought that this outfit…wasn't it nice? She glanced down at herself wondering what was wrong with it. When she looked back up at him, he was shrugging off his jacket. He threw it around her shoulders, holding the front closed at her collar-bone. Her breath hitched at the look he was giving her.

"You shouldn't dress like that to get attention," he said lowly to her, looking intensely into her eyes. "You are already so beautiful and sexy without you trying to be." Well, it seemed like he had recovered from yesterday's 'pretty' comment.

Isabella didn't know how to respond to that. Actually she couldn't think at all. It seemed like her whole body had stopped working. Ferb smiled sweetly at her (not that infernal smirk that he always has lately but an actual smile) and walked away, leaving her clutching at his jacket. Slowly a smile grew and she slipped her arms through the sleeves, zipping the jacket closed. She ignored her inner voice telling her she could have always grabbed her own coat, then just grabbed her books and went to class.

It had spread throughout the school that Isabella was wearing Ferb Fletcher's coat. The girls asked her for the dirt and thought it was so sweet when she told them what he said about her outfit. Other girls were looking at her with murder in their eyes and some of the guys looked like they were trying to see through Ferb's jacket. Thank goodness it was long on her and fell past her hips so they couldn't see how low her jeans sat.

* * *

At the end of the day, Phineas was at his locker gathering his books to take home when she passed by, so she stopped. "Hi Phineas!" she said happily.

"Hey there Isabella," he looked over at her and grinned. "Nice jacket."

She blushed but shook her head. "Shut up. So, whatcha' doin'?"

Phineas opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a freshman girl coming up to him. "Um, hi Phineas," she said shyly. "Would…would you like to…do something tomorrow for Valentine's Day?"

Phineas looked a little startled at being asked. "Um…I'm sorry but I can't."

The girl's face fell. "Oh…okay."

Isabella thought she saw Phineas' eyes light up with an idea and sent a quick glance towards her, but she couldn't be sure. "I would," he explained to the younger girl. "But I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day."

Isabella blinked and looked at him in surprise, but the freshman looked placated. "Oh, that's okay then. I didn't know that." She smiled brightly and so innocently, and bounced away. Isabella rolled her eyes. It was so annoying—really who was _that_ giggly?

She looked over at Phineas with a curious expression. "Not a fan of Valentine's Day?" she asked with some trepidation. "Did you just say that for her benefit?"

Phineas' cheek twitched, but he was facing away from her so that was all she could see. When he turned his face was full of indifference. "No, I meant it. Valentine's Day is just a day after all, but it makes everyone—girls especially—so crazy. I don't understand it." Phineas closed his locker door and swung his backpack over a shoulder. "When Candace was still at home during Valentine's Day she would go nuts talking about all her and Jeremy were going to do. Then, if it didn't happen exactly as she imagined it—which was most of the time because not even Jeremy could keep up with her at that time—she would cry and argue with him for days afterwards."

Isabella gaped at him. "Valentine's doesn't make girls crazy. It's about celebrating love between two people."

"But why? Why do people need to celebrate love anyway? If you're with somebody, they should already know you love them," Phineas reasoned. "And it does make girls crazy. I'm sure you've seen it with some of the girls we hang out with."

Isabella turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Phineas looked at her with a blank face, as if trying to figure out why she seemed upset. It was about a minute when he started. "Oh! Right, you're a girl. Sorry. But then I guess you've seen it in yourself instead of in other girls, huh?" He grinned, as if what he'd said wasn't a stupid remark. "Anyway, you need a ride home?" he asked.

Ride home? That would be nice, Isabella decided. Then she realized that Ferb would be in the car too. That could get awkward. "Um, no. I'm good. I was planning on taking the bus anyway."

Phineas shrugged. "Alright. I'll see you later then." He waved as he walked away.

* * *

Ferb was sitting in the warm car. Isabella still had his jacket and he hadn't brought a coat. Thank goodness for remote starts. The car was nice and warm already when he came out. All he had to do now was wait for Phineas. It didn't take too long before Ferb could see him walking towards the car.

"So, Ferb. I noticed you gave Isabella your jacket," he said, getting in and tossing his backpack in the back seat.

"Yeah, well. If you had seen what she was wearing you would have too."

Phineas nodded in understanding. "I heard. Oh! By the way, I told Isabella that I didn't like Valentine's Day."

Ferb nearly swerved the car. "What?"

Phineas grinned. "Relax, it was like we planned, although we didn't account for a freshman asking me to be her Valentine. Either way it helped me bring up the subject with Izzy." Phineas frowned. "But I think I might have insulted her a bit." Ferb looked over at him with confusion, so Phineas explained. "I may have implied that she wasn't a girl." The former Brit snorted. "I didn't mean to!" Phineas refuted. "It's just that I don't see her as a girl. I mean, she's just Isabella. I mean—oh never mind. You know what I mean. "

Ferb was laughing in the driver's seat. "No worries, I know what you mean. But it's just so perfect!"

Phineas shrugged. "Well, if it helps you get the girl, I'm all for it," he said with a grin. "So, what's your next idea?"

* * *

**Silver's review: How cute was it that he gave her his jacket? And Phineas has embraced his inner jerk... uh oh. Please review and PM the authors. PROMISE ME YOU WILL OR I WILL HURT YOU ALL! RAWR! Just kidding... next up is the number one PnF author; you know him, you love him... TheCartoonFanatic01!**


	5. TheCartoonFanatic01 I

**Hey, what's up, everyone? TheCartoonFanatic01's in the house! It's great to be here, dishing out this chapter for y'all! I know I'm semi-retired here, but as soon as I heard about this round-robin collaboration, I thought "What the heck?" and immediately decided to make my own contribution. Hopefully this chapter turns out to be excellent, because my first attempt at writing Ferbella didn't end so well. But I have faith in this chapter. :)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"He gave you his jacket?!" Ginger Hirano squealed. "TOO CUTE!"

Isabella chuckled nervously as she sat with her good friends on one of the tables in the bustling Danville High School cafeteria. Even after they left the Fireside Girls, the seven members of Troop 46231 remained the best of friends, practically blood sisters, as they progressed through their elementary and middle school years before entering high school. The only thing that changed between them was, of course, their hormones and inclination to gossip, like any other teenager.

But now that she was in the company of good friends, Isabella felt like she wanted to avoid them. In fact, she didn't feel like socializing with absolutely anyone at the moment. Ever since her conversation with Phineas yesterday, where she learned his opinion about Valentine's Day, she felt a little...hollow.

_"But why? Why do people need to celebrate love anyway? If you're with somebody, they should already know you love them."_

She has been with Phineas numerous times, even if they didn't qualify as dates. Nevertheless, they were as close to dates as she could get. And yet, it couldn't be denied that her feelings of love towards him were never reciprocated. If he didn't know that she loved him already, did that mean he would never love her?

Ever?

Then, Isabella remembered her recent encounters with Ferb, the time that passed ever since they made their fateful bet. It was extremely obvious that he was concerned for her well-being. Why else did he give her his jacket to cover himself up, at the cost of having to walk in the chilly outdoors for the rest of the day?

...No. Phineas would do the same thing. He wouldn't have understood why she wore such revealing clothing, but nevertheless, his jacket would've been hers.

And yet...why was Ferb beginning to appear in the forefront of her mind, while Phineas was slowly fading away into the confines of the distant background?...

It wasn't as if she actually liked him. After all, the two made a bet, and it was her duty as a friend to live up to her end of the bet.

Friend...

The word was usually her least-favorite word in her vocabulary, but for some reason, it irked her even more. To make matters even more confusing, she HAD to have Ferb in her mind as she thought about the magic word. It was usually a thought of Phineas that would provoke such a reaction. But not this time.

This time, it was Ferb. She was uncomfortable with having Ferb as a friend. She wanted something more...

"But it was just a damn bet!" Isabella snarled to herself.

"What, Izzie?"

Isabella remembered that she was still sitting with her friends. She giggled nervously and replied, "Oh, it's nothing!"

"No, you mentioned something about a bet," Adyson Sweetwater said. "What bet?"

"Oh." The gears in Isabella's mind whirred at top speed as she quickly formed a lie to tell her friends. "Well, Baljeet and Buford made a bet between each other a couple of days ago. If Baljeet stopped reading any kind of book for an entire week and won, then Buford would start eating healthy foods. If Baljeet lost, then he would have to be Buford's slave for a month." She couldn't help but suppress a giggle as the thought of a book-deprived Baljeet raced across her mind for a brief moment. "Baljeet seems to be holding up well so far. I haven't seen him with a book ever since he told me about it."

"Baljeet never told me about that bet," replied Ginger, confused. Then, she looked down at her lunch tray, a sad expression etched on her face. "He must have lost, though, since he was reading his calculus textbook in the library, as usual. As if Buford didn't give him enough hell already..."

Upon hearing Ginger's statement and remembered that she and Baljeet had been dating ever since last summer, Isabella got an idea.

"Ginger?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"What's Baljeet like whenever you two go out on dates?"

A dreamy smile formed upon the Japanese girl's face. "Like a prince from a fairy-tale," she replied distantly. "He holds the door open for me, listened to any and every single thing I tell him, and best of all, he always pays for me. Such a real gentleman." Her smile widened as a fresh new memory suddenly came into her mind. "I remember the time we went to the New Year's Eve Carnival with Holly and Pedro. You remember that night, right Holly?"

"Oh, yeah," Holly replied, nodding with approval as she faced Isabella. "Izzie, the carnival was so packed that we nearly lost our way a couple of times. Finally, when we got through a crowd, Ginger's jacket was gone, since she had been carrying it on her arm and probably dropped by accident."

"Night was approaching," continued Ginger as Isabella and the other girls listened intently, "and the weather forecaster predicted that it'd be cold. Hell, it was. And we couldn't find my jacket anywhere in the carnival, even after it began to clear of visitors. So guess what Baljeet does?"

"He gives you his jacket," Isabella replied with a single doubt.

Ginger smiled and sighed longingly. "Oh, Baljeet. He may be annoying sometimes with his extreme devotion to learning, but he makes that up for his surprising acts of chivalry." She sighed again, this time with frustration, and looked at Milly. "Buford seriously needs to learn some lessons from him."

"Hey, he's a real gentleman too!" protested Milly. "The time just needs to be right."

Before Ginger and Milly could argue about their boyfriends yet again, a voice suddenly blared from the loudspeaker on the ceiling.

"Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, please report to the principal's office," the monotonous voice ordered. "Thank you."

"Principal's office?" Gretchen asked. "What for?"

"Whatever it is," replied Isabella as she stood up and left the table, "it's obvious I have no choice. See you girls later."

Deep in her mind, Isabella found herself feeling immensely relieved that she had a good excuse to leave the table. And also...conflicted, for some reason.

* * *

The hallway leading to the principal's office was mostly deserted, as it usually was. Isabella felt that it probably had something to do with how intimidating the principal, Jeanette Gomez, was on paper, despite the fact that she was a nice, enjoyable woman as long as one never got on her bad side. And fortunately for Isabella, junior class vice-president and member of several renowned school clubs, she never found herself on such a detested side.

But she was never summoned to the principal's office, since it was usually Gomez who came to her. Hopefully she didn't get into trouble for anything...

"Hey, babe."

Isabella ignored the voice and continued walking.

"Oh, come on, babe, I just wanted to say hey."

"I don't have time for this, Matt," Isabella snapped as she felt the senior walking beside her.

Out of all of the previous boyfriends she had, Isabella would vote Matthew Jennings as the worst of the bunch, hands down. A freshman at the time, she dated the rising star of a quarterback when he charmed her with a bouquet of roses and his hazel eyes. After her first two dates with him, Isabella felt that she might finally move on from Phineas. Then, warning signs flared when he tried to overdo their make-out session during their third date. But all was said and forgiven.

That is, until she caught him in bed with another girl. About five months after she broke up with him, that same girl suddenly dropped out of school, but Matt did not follow suit. Since then, Isabella refused to interact with him in any way ever again. It was practically a vow for the past two years.

"Can't a little 'hey' suffice for you?" Matt asked, his voice kind and gentle, like it always was. "At least I'm not knocking you up."

"So you admit to getting that other girl pregnant?" demanded Isabella, stopping to finally face him. Despite his wavy brown hair, soft smile, and those dazzling hazel eyes, she wasn't fooled. "Were you gonna do the same thing to me? When you supposedly 'overdid' our make-out session?"

Matt shrugged, still smiling as if this was a friendly conversation. "I'm not admitting anything, babe, except for the fact that I obviously overreacted during that date, but that is natural! I mean, all boys do that, right? It honestly couldn't be helped, especially not when I'm dealing with someone as lovely as you-"

"Cut the crap, Matt." Isabella's eyes narrowed. "And not ALL boys do that."

"Really." Matt crossed his arms, his well-toned muscles becoming more defined. "Name one good example."

Isabella immediately hesitated. "Why should I tell you? Don't think I didn't hear about that little fight you and your friends had with that poor freshman."

Matt's eyes widened in shock and revulsion, but Isabella knew that it was all just a façade to make him look like the good guy.

"I tried to stop them-" he began.

"Again, cut the CRAP, Matt. If you'll excuse me, I've gotta be somewhere at the moment."

Isabella resumed her walk towards Principal Gomez's office. Fortunately, Matt was no longer following her, yet she could still hear his voice.

"Come on, I just wanted to say hey! Would it kill you for a guy like me to say hey?"

"Yep, and faster than a speeding semi-truck. Get lost, Matt!"

Fortunately, she didn't hear his voice again for the rest of the day.

* * *

Trying her best to get Matt off her mind, Isabella approached the door to Gomez's office and knocked on it thrice. As she did, her mind began to wander back to Ferb, for some strange reason. She could not help but wonder if he was using the swing set, since he seemed to be the student in the school, out of everyone else, who would continue using it in spite of any compromising condition. Despite his popularity, especially with girls swarming all around him for his good looks, stoic silence, and British charm, Ferb usually acted like the school loner, distancing himself from everyone else, sometimes even his friends...

He'd retreat to the swing set, as if it belonged to his personal space. It had been this way, always, ever since his freshman year...

In fact, she remembered that, while Ferb didn't seem to uphold a specific pattern in being alone, he'd always go to that swing set every Valentine's Day, where he would stay for longer periods of time, even after lunch. She remembered Principal Gomez reprimanding him for missing out on his class...

She remembered feeling bad for him sometimes. After all, he had friends. Why would he cast them aside sometimes, for no clear reason?

"Come on in," a voice responded, bringing Isabella back to reality.

Isabella cautiously opened the door with a slight creak, and found herself staring at Principal Gomez. For a middle-aged woman, she looked surprisingly young. Her skin only displayed a few wrinkles, her black hair flowed down freely to her neck length, and she would have a kind smile that complemented her blue eyes.

Unfortunately, this kind smile was absent.

"Close the door behind you, Isabella," Gomez said. Isabella obliged and closed the door, becoming unnerved by the creak. "Have a seat."

Becoming intimidated by Gomez's current demeanor, Isabella sat down on the single chair facing the principal's desk. It felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Is...Is there a problem, Principal Gomez?" she asked.

For a moment, Gomez's eyes seemed to glimmer with an odd emotion before she replied professionally, "This morning, a student reported to us that yesterday, you were wearing inappropriate clothing, which, may I remind you, is fully against school policy and punishable with suspension and/or expulsion. Is that true?"

* * *

**Wow, we've got Isabella realizing a lot about Valentine's Day, a potential antagonist in Matt, and a cliffy! Didn't TheCartoonFanatic01 do a great job? PM and review! Next up is Miss Lilly-Belle.**

**-Silver**


	6. Lilly-Belle

**Hey there! My name is Lilly-Belle, and I'm super excited to be a part of this story! I've never done any sort of collab before, let alone a round-robin, so here's crossing my fingers that you guys like it.**

**When I first read where this story left off in the office, I was like, ah shit, I have no clue… but then it hit me, and I really like it, so... thanks for what's come before! (*Raises toasting glass*) And here's to what comes after!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Wait…" Isabella faltered, her voice a mere splinter of what it had been before. "What?"

"For a student of your stature, Miss Garcia-Shapiro, I must say I'm surprised," Principal Gomez stated. She pulled out a thick packet —Isabella could just make out Student Policies Handbook— from one of her many drawers, thumbing it open to a page with a familiar tilt of her wrist.

"As you know, we have a fairly firm dress code here at Danville High," she began again. "Now the report said that you were seen wearing a spaghetti strap tank top, which not only violates our bare shoulder policy, but also the exposed midriff section as well."

"I… I…"

What would she say? That she didn't do it? Well, technically she did, even if it was just for five seconds. That she didn't know about the policy? Yeah, like the Junior Class Vice-President wouldn't know the rules. That punishing her for it was cruel and unusual? Well, that was true, but she don't think the principal would appreciate someone harshing her policies.

No, she'd just have to hope her spotless record and academic standing might convince this woman to let her off the hook.

"Am I to take it the reports are true?" Principal Gomez sat forward, placing her hands in a contemplative steeple. As if she weren't intimidating enough, with her business suit and air of authority… now, she was physically looking down on Isabella, too.

Isabella could only nod, her eyes falling to her shoes. One terrifying thought ricocheted violently around her brain: Mom's going to kill me.

Principal Gomez was quiet for a long time, so much so that Isabella couldn't resist glancing back up at her. The older woman was studying her, and although she still hadn't achieved that kind look Isabella was used to seeing on her face, her expression was a little softer.

"I appreciate your honesty, Isabella. And, as other students confirmed, you did cover up the rest of the day. We won't suspend you." The young girl felt her chest swell with hope. "But there will be some form of Disciplinary Action."

That hope, so vibrant a moment ago, quickly collapsed into dread. Terrible, terrible dread, weaving ribbons through her ribcage and tying a knot around her heart.

"Disciplinary Action?" she squeaked, her mind racing. "But… but that will go on my record, won't it?"

Principal Gomez pressed her lips into a frown; that was the only answer Isabella needed. Mom is absolutely going to kill me.

Her transcripts… all of those clubs she joined, all of those good grades she worked so hard to get, all of those community service projects she did helping out the Lil' Sparks… they would now be marred by the ugly red slash of Disciplinary Action.

Isabella suddenly felt light-headed, and Principal Gomez's next words, although not the ones she wanted to hear, came out gentler than before. "It won't be severe. Believe me, Isabella, it's not like I want to, but just imagine how it would look to let one student off the hook and not others. It creates a gray area."

"But there is a gray area," she shot back, though careful to keep her tone respectful. "I had a tank top that broke the dress code exposed for literally thirty seconds, then it was covered the rest of the day. Is that really enough to… to…"

Isabella put her head in her hands. This could not be happening!

"Jeanette," a new voice droned, scaring the daylights out of the younger girl before she realized it was coming from an intercom on Gomez's desk, "there's a call for you on line two pending."

"Didn't you ask to take a message?" Principal Gomez quarried, her irritation impossible to miss.

"Yes, ma'am, I did," the voice was quick to answer, "and they replied with the phrase, 'Fire Truck Fractions.' Does that mean anything to you?"

Principal Gomez's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She glanced from the phone, to Isabella, and back again.

"I can, uh," Isabella rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "I can step outside, if you want."

The principal seemed unsure of what to do with whatever call was waiting for her, but cleared her throat. "Er, yes, Miss Garcia-Shapiro. That would work. Just give me a moment."

Isabella did as she asked, slumping down in one of the overly squishy and oddly stained chairs that sat outside of the office. It took every piece of her to not cry; she never got in trouble! How was one supposed to even handle this?

Two sharp buzzes came from her pocket: a text message. She slid her phone out, glancing quickly into Principal Gomez's office. The older woman was busy with her phone to her ear. It wasn't that the use of cell phones was prohibited; Isabella just didn't want to seem rude when she had this impending doom of Disciplinary Action hanging over her head.

It was one word, plainly put, from Ferb.

Jailbreak.

Before Isabella could contemplate the meaning too much, Principal Gomez opened the door. She had a semblance of a smile on her face—not necessarily the kind one the young girl had been holding out for, but a quirky one nonetheless.

She quickly stood up.

"Isabella…" Gomez took a deep breath. "I'm going to let you off with a warning today."

"What?" Isabella exclaimed, those tears that had been threatening to fall earlier cropping back up again, though this time from pure relief.

"For a student of such high standing, I think you've earned one break, but I do mean one." The principal gave her a stern look. "I do trust we won't have issues again."

Isabella nodded her head adamantly. She may even have thrown in a few groveling "yes ma'ams", but she wasn't paying attention.

When she booked it out of those dreaded office doors, she couldn't remember a time in these halls when she'd been so relieved. _I was off the hook. I just got a warning. I was off the hook!_ This internal mantra was so strong, Isabella didn't even comprehend a dark shape turning around the same corner she was until she crashed into them.

Her binder fell out of her arms, but two hands clamped down on her shoulders before she could topple over. Once she was stable, the figure bent over to retrieve her fallen papers, and she came eye to eye with…

"Ferb?"

He smiled, casually saluting as if to say, at your service.

"Shouldn't you be in class right now?" Isabella asked, brushing a wavy black tress behind her ear.

"You sound like Gomez," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "I have a free period. I was just coming to check up on you."

Isabella was both comforted and bummed. Yeah, she was happy he wasn't ditching class, but there was also something just… romantic about the idea of him stepping out against the rules to make sure she was alright.

Not that it mattered, of course. Because he hadn't ditched. And because he wasn't supposed to be romantic anyway. Because it wasn't Valentine's Day yet, and because this was all for a bet. And—

"Wait," Isabella paused her internal rambling, his first sentence just sinking in. "I sound like Gomez?"

In response, Ferb's smile morphed into a smirk that she almost took as… smug.

Jailbreak.

All the pieces clicked. The puzzle was nonsensical and utterly impossible… and yet…

"You… did you somehow get Gomez to back off?"

His mouth pulled up into a toothy grin.

"Oh my god," she laughed. "How did you pull that off?"

"I have my ways."

"Three words, Ferb: Fire. Truck. Fractions. You've got to at least explain that!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm.

"It would ruin my reputation," Ferb replied cheekily. Honestly, Isabella never thought she'd put the words cheeky and Ferb together. Obviously, he was full of surprises.

And yet he refused to tell her? Oh hell no. She stopped walking then and there, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. After a few steps he stopped too, turning to face her.

"You have to tell me," she demanded.

He raised his eyebrow, obviously saying, oh please, I don't have to do anything.

"You know, it's not very gentleman-like to keep a lady waiting," Isabella threw out. She knew this would get him. Now not telling her would go against their bet. His eyes gleamed with one word: touché.

"Last summer, I tutored Gomez's kid in math. He wasn't understanding, so I helped him relate it to his toy cars and stuff, and he finally got it. It became a joke, Fire Truck Fractions."

"And you used this to… uh, sway her opinion about punishing me?"

"Well I figured I could at least try," he remarked. Isabella stared at him for a moment too long. She quickly cleared her throat and initiated their path down the hall.

"Wow, Ferb, I don't know what to say." Isabella glanced at the green-haired boy beside her, unable to hold back her smile. "Thanks. You really saved my butt back there."

He smiled and nodded, and they continued in companionable silence.

The entire time, Isabella just couldn't comprehend what he said. Ferb. Silent, semi-loner Ferb, teaching a kid his fractions using toy cars. It was so unbelievably sweet. Almost as sweet as him sticking his neck out for her today to save her school record. Who knew Ferb could be so—

Damn it! For the second time in a short period, she stopped walking. Ferb followed suit, giving her a quizzical look.

Oh, ho, ho, touché. Touché! The devious Brit! The damn genius! She'd admit this was a masterful move. So much so, that if it were a game of chess, he was on the border of declaring check, but she caught him. She wouldn't allow herself to be swept off her feet and let him win this bet. Not just like that.

He tilted his head to the side, his brows crinkling in concern, and she realized she'd never even gotten her binder back. He'd been carrying her books for her this whole time, and Isabella hadn't even noticed until now.

She held her hand out for the binder, but he glanced at the outstretched fingers questioningly.

"Can I have my binder back, please?" she sighed. He let out a single huff of a laugh and held it out to her.

"Has anyone ever told you you're crazy competitive?"

"Thank you."

"It may not have been a compliment."

"And yet," she sang back, "coming from you, I know it is."

It was his turn to be confused, looking her way with inquisitive eyes.

"Forget about it, Fletcher," Isabella teased. They finally made it to her locker, and she quickly opened it, shoving the binder in and grabbing books for her next class. "Don't you have a class you need to get to?"

"I have a few more minutes." He leaned against the wall of lockers, crossing his arms. He looked so casual, and very handsome. Honestly, what was he doing wasting his Valentine's Day on a bet? He could really have any girl in the school.

"Smooth move today, by the way," Isabella remarked. "Really, I will outwardly admit defeat with my gratitude."

His head tilted to the side, a lop-sided smile stealing across his lips.

"But today only," she tacked on quickly. The class bell rang, and students started entering the hall; they'd have to go soon. "Don't you even start to think you've gone and won this bet. You're far from it."

"And maybe…" he began slowly, "you should consider that my actions today might not have been because of some silly bet."

Isabella blinked at him. That… she didn't quite know how to take that. But his smile turned playful, and he quickly broke the moment.

"I mean, a Disciplinary Action for Isabella Garcia-Shapiro? The world may have actually exploded."

"Oh har har," Isabella muttered. With that Ferb started walking off, but she quickly said, "hey, Ferb, thanks! I'll see you tomorrow!"

He turned around, meandering backwards and yet somehow still navigating the busy halls.

"Oh please," he called back, his usually quiet voice drifting across the hall and into her surprised ears. "You're not done seeing me today."

* * *

**This was cute! I love how many unique ideas everybody's come up with, and our story hasn't even gotten to Valentine's Day yet. Don't worry, we'll all be writing second chapters! But still to come is LaptopWriter22 and chapter 7. Review and stay tuned!**


	7. LaptopWriter22

**Hello, Laptop here. I'm so excited to be part of this collaboration! Building onto everyone's work and putting this chapter together was very interesting and enjoyable. Everyone who went before me has been amazing, and I can't wait to read everything that comes after this.**

* * *

Isabella tossed her backpack on the floor, plopped down on the couch, and breathed a sigh of relief. The school day was over. She could relax in comfortable boredom with a frozen dinner, her homework, and access to any questionable TV show she wanted to watch. Her mother had recently taken a second-shift job, so she wouldn't be home at all that night.

Strangely, Isabella felt exhausted, but content. Even if her friends had almost found out about her bet with Ferb, Matt had chosen the worst time to annoy her, and she had almost been expelled from school, that green-haired, dreamy, British thorn in her side made everything seem okay.

Worse, Ferb's careful attention to her made the events of the day seem almost worth it. Isabella grabbed a pillow, pulled it over her face, and opened her eyes into it. The white pillowcase in front of her proved ineffective for erasing images of Ferb towering above her with his hands on her shoulders.

"I am so not doing this," Isabella muttered to the empty house. "I have to be ready for him. He said he wasn't done seeing me." She grabbed the remote, switched the TV on, and slid lazily down the couch cushion to reach her backpack. She rifled through it for her homework. _I probably have a million math problems, _she thought. _I wish Ferb would hurry up and appear. I need his help._

She was surprised at how much she enjoyed wishing impatiently for Ferb to appear. It really wasn't much fun when she wished for Phineas.

_But Phineas never actually shows up when I think of him, or when I need him, _Isabella absentmindedly argued with herself._ These days, Ferb always does…_

Her cell phone jingled from the bottom of her backpack at exactly that moment. Isabella reached down, her heart pounding. Was that really Ferb? A call from him at the exact moment she thought about needing him would be a wonderful coincidence.

Isabella glanced at the screen and made a face. "Reality check," she murmured. The number on the phone belonged to Adyson Sweetwater.

This was neither disappointing or unexpected, Isabella told herself firmly. The Fireside Girls often called in the evenings. Ferb wasn't the only person with her number. Isabella shook her head and pressed a button on the phone.

"Hi, Adyson," she said, clambering back onto the couch.

"You lonely?" Adyson demanded. Isabella rolled her eyes. That question was Adyson's special code for, 'I have something completely insane in mind; we should try it right now while no one's watching.'

"Mom's at work like usual, if that's what you mean," Isabella replied.

"Yes! Come hang out with me," Adyson urged in her abrupt style.

"I can't do that." Isabella pushed a pillow under her arm. "Mom will barely let me leave the house after school. Besides, I'm waiting for…someone."

"Ya think _my_ mom knows where I am?" Adyson retorted, ignoring Isabella's last sentence.

Isabella reminded herself to be patient with her friend. Adyson's personality was similar to her own: Headstrong, outspoken, and controlling. In the past few months, however, Adyson had gone from fiery and determined to sullen and apathetic. She'd been suspended twice last month. The first time was for sneaking cigarettes into school. The second one involved one of the guys she'd been going through; Isabella hadn't asked for details on that incident. Since Adyson's dad left last year, Isabella generally tried to be understanding. Her sandy-haired friend wasn't making it easy.

"Where are you, then?" she asked, trying not to sound put off.

"On the way to your house," Adyson replied.

"What?" Isabella could feel Adyson's smirk through the phone. Her voice rose in response. "What are you talking about? You live ten miles away now."

"My boyfriend, Jared, borrowed his mom's car. Calm down; he has a license. We're gong by your place anyway, so I thought I'd dial you up," Adyson casually explained. "We're going downtown."

"Okay. No." Isabella got up and paced around the room. "I can't believe you're doing this."

"Ooh, look who's talking, Little Miss Perfect. I'm not the one who was called in for bad behavior at school today," Adyson shot back. "What was that about? Got something you'd like to talk about? That's what you always say to me."

"What happened at school today has nothing to do with it!" Isabella shouted, stomping her foot as if Adyson was standing in front of her to see her frustration.

"I thought maybe you were ready to handle a good time," Adyson went on. "I guess I was wrong."

"Adyson, I swear I will…" Isabella paused. Really, she had no idea what to do.

"What? Call the cops on me?" Adyson challenged. Slowly, Isabella shook her head.

"Come on, Isa. I want you along." Adyson's voice changed. If Isabella hadn't known her friend better, she would have sworn Adyson was asking for help.

It was either join her or call the police. Adyson's mother didn't know or care what her daughter did in the evenings. Isabella pursed her lips, weighing her options.

This was her friend, the girl who'd been her second-in-command during the Fireside Girl years. Isabella couldn't just let her drive off alone with some guy. That was how she and Matt got into trouble.

"Where exactly are you going?" Isabella asked.

"Jared's uncle owns a little business downtown with a couple of rooms on top of it," Adyson replied. "We're going over there for a little while."

"That's all? No wild clubs or anything?" Isabella pressed.

"That's it," Adyson promised. Isabella hesitated.

"Fine," she said at last, forgetting about her tentative prior engagement. "I'll go with you, but we'd both better be home by midnight."

"Yes, Cinderella," Adyson muttered.

"I mean it, Adyson! Mom gets off work at one," Isabella declared.

The other girl cursed in response and hung up. Isabella tossed her phone onto the couch in frustration. "You're welcome," she snapped at the empty air.

She turned to go upstairs, contemplating the punishment she'd face if her mother found out. There was no possible way that could happen, though. She'd just have to be firm with Adyson. Maybe she could even convince her friend to leave earlier.

Her mind made up, Isabella headed for her closet. She parted the row of trendy, flattering tops and tight jeans, searching toward the far right of her closet. Hidden behind her school clothes were outfits she only wore when she wanted to escape notice. Adyson's crowd outside the former Fireside Girls could be wild and rude. It was best to avoid looking like a teenage girl while around them. Isabella just hoped no one from school would see her that night.

Her hand brushed soft, fluffy cotton, and she smiled as she pulled out a pink sweater. It was perfect for the cold night outside. It was also oversized and looked like it was molting because of all the fluff. Isabella selected a dark pair of jeans and some plain black and white sneakers that she'd purchased because they looked like the ones Phineas and Ferb used to wear. Perfect.

_Ferb. He said he would call me tonight. At least, that's what I think he meant._ Isabella glanced at her alarm clock as she dressed. It was already seven in the evening. Maybe he'd become involved in some scheme with Phineas and was distracted. Maybe he'd forgotten about her. Maybe she should call him.

The doorbell rang several times, jerking Isabella out of her thoughts. She finished retouching her makeup and hurried downstairs to let her unwanted guests in.

Adyson was inside as soon as Isabella opened the door. Her face was flushed, her green eyes were wide open, and she haphazardly flung her purse and phone at the couch first thing. Isabella shook her head. This was not a good start.

"Hi, Adyson," she began lamely, moving toward her friend.

"I just came in to get you," Adyson told her. "Jared's waiting in the car."

"Okay." Isabella picked up Adyson's purse and a phone. "Come on." She stuffed the phone into Adyson's purse and followed her friend down the sidewalk toward the dark brown car parked on the curb. At least Adyson wasn't stumbling. Isabella decided she'd been drinking, but not enough to show the signs yet.

The car engine revved. Isabella jumped. She'd evidently been standing motionless on the sidewalk for a little too long. Adyson was already in the car.

"You getting in or not?" Jared called, smirking at Isabella's startled reaction to the engine.

_Jerk,_ Isabella thought, sliding into the back seat. Jared drove away before she could put her seat belt on. She checked for bottles on the floor, the seat beside her, and what she could see of the front. As far as she could see, the car was alcohol-free. Jared was making conversation with Adyson.

Isabella tossed Adyson's purse into the front. Adyson snatched it without a word; she was too busy listening to Jared. Isabella settled against the seat. They were both ignoring her. If she was lucky, they would do that all evening.

Then, she remembered Ferb. She'd forgotten to call him. Well, she could sent him a text now. Isabella reached into her pocket and nearly panicked. Her phone wasn't there. She thought back. She'd picked up Adyson's phone off the couch, but had failed to retrieve her own.

Isabella mulled the situation over. It might be better not to contact Ferb, anyway. He probably shouldn't know about this outing.

It was nothing she couldn't handle. She was only driving down the street at breakneck speed, with her phone at home and someone she didn't know at the wheel.

* * *

"Do you think Isabella's coming?" Phineas asked, glancing up from a diagram. The boys were sprawled across the furniture in the living room. They were alone, for the moment; Linda and Lawrence had gone out for a date night, and Perry was nowhere to be found.

"I've called her cell phone and her home phone three times, but both of them just go to voicemail," Ferb replied. He turned to his brother. "Maybe I waited too long after school to call her."

"Well, you were using the time to prepare to ask her over," Phineas consoled him. "I don't know why she's not answering, though. You said you'd see her, and Isabella's always home this time of night."

Ferb glanced out the window. The road that separated his house from Isabella's gleamed in the moonlight. The silver line stretched past the house next door, pristine and silent. Ferb paused to admire it. He moved a little closer to the window, listening to the wind rustle through the trees. Maybe Isabella was listening to the same wind.

He thought he noticed something moving erratically near Isabella's front door. At first, he thought it was his imagination, but it kept on swaying at the same steady pace. Ferb decided to get a closer look. He headed for his own door, glancing back toward the window once or twice to make sure the movement didn't disappear.

"Where are you going?" Phineas called after him.

"To check something," was all Ferb said. He opened the door and disappeared into the cold. Phineas shook his head and slowly returned to his diagram.

Ferb took the few steps to Isabella's house and stopped on the sidewalk. Something was definitely moving in the wind by the front door. He took another look and realized that it was actually the front door. It hung open, swinging on its hinges. He could barely see inside, though; the lights in the house were off.

Ferb approached the doorway, ringing the bell just to be safe, but it was obvious that no one was home. A little worried for Isabella's safety, he stepped inside, switching the light on. The empty living room flickered eerily into view.

Ferb glanced around for anything out-of-place. Nothing seemed unusual, and there were no rustling or crashing sounds to be heard. He had just decided to check upstairs and then shut the front door and leave when he caught sight of a cell phone sticking up from between the couch cushions.

It didn't belong to Isabella. Her phone was black; this one was brown with a skull sticker on it. Ferb picked it up, and the screen turned on.

**_Wanna hang out tonight over at Tabs, babe?_**

**_Loser._**

Ferb thought he'd seen enough. The phone belonged to Adyson, who had been texting some guy. He almost set the device down and left.

Then, he realized Tabs was the name of a bar the family often passed by when they drove through downtown, and that Adyson's phone was in Isabella's house. He scrolled down through a few texts.

**_KK, just don't be mad._**

**_I'm bringing Isabella along._**

**_What? Who is she?_**

**_Her house is on the way. I'm not going with you alone._**

**_Whatever._**

The texts ended there. Ferb shoved the phone into his pocket and sprinted home. He ran straight to the garage. His parents had taken their relatively new car that evening, but the old red station wagon was still at home.

Phineas showed up in the doorway. "Are you leaving the house?" he asked.

Ferb nodded, brushing a layer of empty, flattened cardboard boxes off the station wagon. "Isabella's door was open, but I think I know where she went. Do the modifications on this thing still work?"

"As far as I know." Phineas smiled. "We haven't driven that in a while."

"Well, Mom takes it downtown while Dad's at work during the day," Ferb pointed out. "So, at least we know it can start." He looked up. "Could you find the keys?"

Phineas disappeared inside for a few minutes, returning with the keys. He started to toss them to his brother, but hesitated.

"What am I supposed to tell Mom and Dad?" he questioned.

Ferb thought for a moment. "I'll probably be home by the time they get back," he replied.

"I could say you went out on errands." Phineas shrugged. "It would be true. 'Errand' is a general term."

"Thanks," Ferb replied. Phineas grinned and tossed him the keys.

* * *

Isabella's breath hitched in her throat as the car pulled up to a two-story building on the streets of Danville. She reached forward and tapped Adyson on the shoulder.

"Adyson!" she hissed. "You said Jared's uncle owned a business!"

"This is a business," Adyson countered, making a move to get out of the car.

"Are you crazy? This is a bar!"

"Calm down. We're not actually going to be down in the big, scary bar where people _drink stuff that isn't water_," Adyson mocked. "Jared lives upstairs, remember?"

"I don't care! You did not tell me this was where we'd end up." Isabella crossed her arms. "I'm not leaving this car."

Adyson glared angrily back. Jared cleared his throat.

"That would be great," he muttered. Isabella stared at the back of his head, indignant. For a moment, she considered walking away. If she did, however, where would she go?

She came along to protect Adyson, after all. Leaving her alone with Jared now would be giving up. Isabella opened the car door roughly and stomped out. The other two followed her, and she lagged behind, allowing them to enter the building first.

There was a chorus of, "Hey, Jared!" first thing. Isabella stood back as he paraded Adyson around the room, introducing her to a select few. Meanwhile, the couple at the table closest to Isabella glanced at her strangely once or twice. She resisted the urge to back into the wall. She'd never felt more self-conscious, especially with that pink cotton sweater on.

"You've got a friend waiting upstairs," someone called to Jared as he and Adyson reached Isabella's side of the room again. Jared nodded and waved to the man.

"Who's up there?" Isabella asked uncertainly. Jared ignored her and unlocked a door, revealing a staircase. Isabella climbed up after them, wishing she had never come.

Adyson opened the door to the little room. Isabella thought she heard her friend say, "I didn't know you hung with him," but the noise from downstairs competed with Adyson's voice. Isabella kept her back to the room for a moment, shutting the door to keep out the noise downstairs.

She turned around into a pair of hazel eyes. "What are you wearing, girl?" an all-too-familiar voice asked.

Isabella gasped. "Matt? What are you doing here?" She took a step forward, but he didn't move an inch.

"Just came to give my friend some money I owe him," Matt answered easily. He smiled disarmingly at the sight of Isabella's dismay. "I guess I picked the right night, didn't I?"

* * *

**OH SNAPPITY-SNAP! This teaches you one thing kids: make good choices. Although I'm not sure if staying at home and waiting for a phone call is a better choice than protecting your friend... well, look where that got Isabella! PM Laptop, leave reviews, and Happy Valentine's Day! Don't worry, the story ain't done yet. Stay tuned.**


	8. HigherSilver II

**Goodness I'm a little late. I was hoping to get this finished before February ends. Let's see if it happens. As always, please review.**

**-Silver**

* * *

Surely Isabella had been in worse predicaments, but she couldn't think of any right now. What could be worse than being an underage teen stuck in an unfamiliar bar with a slightly insane friend and her random boyfriend? Being stuck there with Matt. This was awful. Even Adyson seemed a little uneasy. Before, hanging with Jared at night seemed okay, as long as both of the girls were there. But now, with Matt at the party… there seemed to be some sort of suggestiveness behind the way he was treating the girls.

All Isabella could think of was Ferb and his phone call. There was no place she'd rather be than with him; maybe snuggled together watching a Valentine's movie, or going out to eat, or even just hanging out at the house. Anywhere! If Ferb were here… actually, she had no idea how she'd feel if Ferb were here. But, now if she really thought about it, she'd be totally relaxed if he were here. There was something about being with Ferb that made her feel safe. Baljeet got bullied on a regular basis, Phineas could barely handle a thumb-wrestling match, and Buford was secretly a huge wuss, but somehow Ferb seemed a little tougher than the rest of the boys. More resilient.

Anyway, it wasn't like he could help her now. She sat down uneasily on Jared's scratchy cloth sofa. Matt suddenly plopped himself right on her armrest.

"So darling, I never got to ask you the other day, how have you been?" Matt asked. He seemed to be reaching around in his jacket for something.

"I thought I made it clear I don't want any part of you." Isabella said through clenched teeth.

"Really?" He asked saucily. "Once upon a time, you seemed to really want my parts."

"Oh god." Isabella said.

"Isabella, what do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not as bad as you think I am?" Matt asked. "Look, I made a huge mistake. You were the only girl I think I was really ever in love with." Isabella couldn't help but think of the roses and the dates she had been on with him. And the fact that he almost made Phineas disappear, for however short a time. Matt, noticing her changing expression, smiled to himself. "You wanna go out with me tomorrow?"

"I have a boyfriend!" Isabella suddenly cried out, as a defense mechanism. She wasn't sure why that was the first thing that came to mind.

"You're kidding, aren't you?" Matt said.

"No," Isabella was suddenly prepared to defend her lie. "I do. And he promised to give me the best Valentine's Day ever. With none of your kind of 'get-into-my-pants' crap. The best Valentine's Day… ever." She finished.

"Uh-huh. So what's this Casanova's name?" He said sourly.

"Hey, it's Ferb!" The entire party seemed to roar as Ferb walked up into the room. He raised a hand in acknowledgement. At this point, both Phineas and Ferb were used to the whole world knowing them, even if they didn't know the whole world.

Isabella felt her heart race and her eyes light up. She jumped off the couch and dashed towards him. "How'd you know where I was?" He held up a cell phone. "Oh, this is Adyson's, isn't it? There must have been a billion text messages about this little 'party'. Adyson!" Isabella called.

The brunette rushed forward. "Hey, I thought I lost this! Thanks guys! Ferb, feel free to stay and-"

"He's taking me home!" Isabella said. Ferb and Adyson both stared at her. Isabella blushed. "I mean…"

"Whatever." Adyson said, as she left them alone.

"I didn't mean to be so… look, I kind of want to get out of here." Isabella whispered.

"Agreed." Ferb said.

They both darted back down and out of the building. As she walked with Ferb, Isabella realized she was really glad she was wearing her floaty sweater now. It made her look pretty, after all. This thing with Ferb was the weirdest battle she had ever fought.

"Hey!"

They heard someone yell from behind them. Isabella knew it was Matt. He seemed very pissed off and very off-kilter. She knew something fishy had to have been in that coat of his. He was definitely a little drunk.

"So, is this the guy?" Matt said angrily. "You picked him over me? Come on, look at me! He's got green hair, for God's sake."

"Matt, leave me alone." Isabella said, mustering up a brave voice.

"That's it, you and me, pal." Matt held up his fists. Ferb said nothing and made no motion. He simply stood his ground. Isabella found herself clutching his arm. "Scared to fight me?"

"Technically, I could fight you, but you're at such a disadvantage, in both state of mind and skill, that I feel it might be grossly unfair." Ferb said. Isabella stifled a giggle.

"That's it, British boy. I'll get you somehow." Matt said angrily, as he stormed back inside.

Isabella let out a sigh of relief. "How long has this boy been bothering you?" Ferb asked her, as they went back to the car.

"A while. We dated, he cheated, it's a long, stupid story." Isabella said bitterly.

"Are you alright?" Ferb asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Isabella stammered. Just the sweet way he said that surprised her a little.

"Why were you here? I stopped by your house and it was totally empty." Ferb asked.

"I was trying to protect Adyson. But, honestly, for a kid who lives above a bar, Jared really isn't so bad. And she's a big enough girl to handle her own boyfriend." Isabella said. "Wait, you went to my house? You were looking for me?" Ferb stayed silent. Isabella found herself smiling. "I guess you're used to girls waiting patiently for your call all day."

"True. But, I always prefer a girl who's more of a challenge." He said.

Isabella felt like blushing again. "We're almost home. And, it's almost Valentine's Day."

"Ah, yes. I'm already planning out what activities you'll be forced to do." Ferb joked.

They pulled up in front of Isabella's house. "Okay, I don't think Mami is home yet." She glanced at the dashboard. It was exactly 12:00. "Happy Valentine's Day." She said gently.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He replied.

He was moving closer to her. Isabella felt her heart speed up to about a million beats per second. Was he going to kiss her? _Please please please…_

BZZT.

A loud buzz broke them out of their trance. It was Ferb's phone. "It's Phineas." He said, a little grumpily. "He's covering for me. And, I'm about to get 'busted' in five minutes."

Isabella opened the door to the car. "Goodnight." She said softly.

"Goodnight." He replied.

She tiptoed back into her house. And she tiptoed into her room. Then, she flopped onto her bed, grabbed her phone and dialed as fast as she could.

"HELP ME! I think I'm in love with Ferb!"


	9. Spazzumtard II

**Another chapter from me! Wow, this story has come so far. I'm excited to see where it goes from here. No Ferb interaction this time and just a little bit of Phineas, but mostly Isabella and Katie. Katie is such an underused fun character. She's perfect for that 'weird friend'.**

**Please review this chapter! I'm sure all the authors check the reviews for this story, especially for their respective chapters. I know I do. Review Review Review! and PM me if you want to ask me questions or want a response from me.**

* * *

"Help me! I think I'm in love with Ferb!"

"Um…what?" was Katie's response. After a moment she continued. "Isabella?" The other girl said through the phone. "Do you know what time it is?"

Isabella rolled over again to look at her alarm clock on her bedside table. Her eyes widened and she winced. It read 12:34 a.m. She kissed her thumb quickly (1-2-3-4. Make a wish!). "I'm sorry, I forgot you were in a different time-zone. Were you sleeping?" she asked.

"No. I just wanted to know if you knew what time it was," the blonde replied in her typical whimsical way.

Isabella rolled her eyes. She should have expected that. Katie was known for staying up to the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes she would come to school getting only a half-hour of sleep. At least being away for her cousin's wedding (which would be later today—on Valentine's day. Cliché.) she didn't have school, but she was still an hour off right now…not that it mattered anyway, with it being Saturday.

"Katie!" Isabella exclaimed, feeling a little irritated at the flighty girl.

"Right, sorry. So what's up?"

Isabella wanted to bang her head against the wall, but she settled for her pillow. "Katie, focus! I need your help."

"Yeah, I got that much. Help with what, exactly?"

"I think I've fallen in love… with Ferb…" Isabella told her nervously.

There was silence on the other end for a moment before; "Someone else told me that recently… who was that…?"

Isabella wanted to scream. "That was me! Earlier in this conversation!"

"Right! I remember that now. When did this happen anyway?"

Isabella rolled back onto her back. "Well, it started with the Valentine's day lesson I had and then I said that guys weren't romantic anymore and Ferb took me for ice cream and gave me his jacket and now I think I love him!"

Again, silence. "Um… okay. I think I missing a few facts… Walk me through it, Iz."

Isabella took a breath and started at the beginning, telling her everything from the bet to the almost-kiss in the car. They were both silent for a while as Katie let that sink in. Isabella reached out and grabbed Ferb's jacket. She really should have given it back to him earlier today, but couldn't make herself do it. Plus, it smelled wonderful—a spicy yet sweet smell with an undertone of wood and welding steel. She took a deep breath and smiled dreamily, not listening as Katie began talking.

"Isabella!" Katie shouted in her ear. "Stop smelling Ferb's jacket and listen to me!"

"What? How did you know—I mean, I'm not—"

"Please, Iz," Katie scoffed. "I can hear you sniffing it." Isabella could feel the blush covering her face. "Don't feel bad," her friends said. "I did the same thing when I had that crush on Jeremy all those years ago…except I didn't have his jacket… You're so lucky! I had to go out and trial and error it until I found his deodorant spray!"

Isabella pulled the phone from her ear and gave the picture of her friend a very… concerned look. "Um… okay," she said, once she returned the phone to her ear. "Listen Katie, my mom will be home soon—"

"Oh, tell her I say hi!"

Her hand clenched. "I will, but I need your help."

"Yeah, you mentioned that a few times before."

"Katie!" Isabella was fed up with her. "Stop that or I'll hang up and call Ginger."

"Okay, okay, what do you need?"

"I need…I don't know what I need. He's going to win the bet. Everything I try to throw at him, he doesn't react to—or he reacts totally different from how I expected him to."

Katie hummed. "Well, if you already know you're going to lose, why don't you have some fun with it?"

Isabella blinked in surprise. "What? How?"

"Like... try to out-romance him. Tomorrow—er, today, is Valentine's Day. It's the end of your bet, right?"

"Yeah…" Isabella felt a grin forming on her face. She knew she had called the right person.

"So, romance him instead. Flowers, cards, chocolates, candy hearts, and all that," Katie answered.

Isabella had a full-blown smile now. "That's genius!" Just then she heard the front door unlocking. "Oh, my mom's here. I have to go. If she catches me on the phone this late she'll ground me."

"Okay, but do one thing for me?"

"What's that?" she whispered, listening for her mom.

"Paint his tools pink."

"Okay, wait, what?"

"For Valentine's Day," Katie said, as if it explained everything.

Isabella shook her head grinning at her random friend. "Sure okay. I'll see you next week when you get back." They said their goodbyes and she hung up her phone just as she heard her mom's footsteps on the stairs. As quickly and as silently as she could, she slipped under her quilt, still fully dressed. Making sure the blanket was covering her shoulders so her mom couldn't see that she wasn't in pajamas, she feigned sleep. Her door creaked open and Isabella "stirred from her sleep".

"Mom?" she "dazedly" asked.

"Lo siento, mija," her mother apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Isabella hummed at her and murmured, "Que duerma bien, Mama."

She could see her mom smile out of the corner of her eye. "Sleep well, Isa," she repeated back to her.

As soon as her door closed, Isabella sat up and grabbed her phone. Assembling a group text of all her female friends (minus Katie), she sent out her plan. It shouldn't be that hard to paint Ferb's tools pink in a few hours, considering they'd done everything from building a roller coaster to implementing a new language throughout the Tri-State Area in the same amount of time. The hard part would be how to keep Ferb away until it was done…

Isabella grinned as an idea popped in her head and she grabbed her phone again. It was late, but the boys didn't share a room so the chance that Ferb would see Phineas' phone before Phineas did was very slim. She typed out:

**_Hey Phin, the girls and I have a surprise for Ferb tomorrow but it needs to be done over there and we need you to keep him away for a few hours. Can you do that for me please?_**

She deliberately said "the girls" so that Phineas wouldn't think it was all her, just in case he did have some feelings for her…

Wait, did that matter anymore? Isabella stopped to think about it before she sent the text. Did she still have feelings for Phineas? She sat up on her bed and closed her eyes.

Alright, Phineas or Ferb. Life without Phineas; she imagined it for a moment and grimaced. That would be so boring… hmm. Life without Ferb…? Her eyes shot open almost instantly and she gasped. Her heart ached at the thought. She could live without him… but she really didn't want to. Life would be just as boring as it would be without Phineas, but it would also be so painful.

Well… that decided that, she thought, and pushed the send button on her phone. She wasn't expecting him to respond very quickly—he loved his sleep—but before she could shut it off and put it on her bedside table, it buzzed in her hand.

**_Sure_**

She smiled and put her phone away, not bothering to text him back that night. As she got dressed in her pajamas and laid down on her bed, she created a mental list of what she wanted to do the next day with Katie's words ringing through her mind.

"Out-romance him. Flowers, cards, chocolates, candy hearts, and all that."

* * *

Phineas rolled over, waking up as his phone buzzed. He always fell asleep early, but was a light sleeper. He groaned and grumbled as he picked up his phone and winced at the bright light as he powered it on. He read the text from Isabella through one eye. He sent back one word, sure, before turning it off again and putting it back on his bedside table.

As he rolled over to go back to sleep, he grinned. A surprise for Ferb, huh? Interesting…

_I wonder if they'll have Candace plan their wedding too…_

* * *

**Next is veebee again. Review and follow :)**


	10. veebeejustte II

**Okay, I'm back again. So, I was sort of short on time this week, so it took a while to get this chapter done, and shorter than I'd like, too. Anyway, I've got more Phineas, and some Ferb moments in there, so I think it'll be okay. Yup, that's all I have for now.**

* * *

Isabella and the former Fireside girls (minus Katie) reported to the Flynn-Fletcher backyard at seven sharp. Isabella laid out the whole plan. Gretchen and Adyson were in charge of the romantic dinner (which Phineas had already invited Ferb to), Ginger was supposed to be arranging flowers (but she got distracted by a call from Baljeet), and Holly was decorating the yard.

Meanwhile, Phineas wanted Isabella to help him with more detail-oriented things, such as painting the tools, and bombing Ferb's room with a Valentine's Day explosion. At the moment, they were at the paint section of BuildStuff Depot, debating whether 'strawberry-magenta' or 'tickle-me-pink with sparkles' should be the color of Ferb's tools.

"You kidding, Phineas? He'll freak if there are sparkles on his gadgets!"

Phineas smirked, "He'll probably freak either way; why not go all out? I know how much you like going all out..."

"Says the one who circumnavigated the globe in a day because traveling in time twice, building a roller coaster, and discovering Atlantis wasn't enough," Isabella replied with a laugh. "Wait, why would you want to go all out on this, anyway? I thought you hated Valentine's Day."

"Hate is a strong word. I'd say it's more of a distaste for the holiday. But this'll make Ferb's day. You have no idea how much he wants to spend Valentine's Day with you," Phineas announced, before realizing what he had just said. Blushing, he tried to recover, "I mean, y'know, the bet..." But it was too late, he was already scratching his ear.

Isabella stared suspiciously. "Phineas, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Ferb would kill me. Then you'd kill me. Best not to say."

Isabella knew how to make a boy uncomfortable. "Phinny, does Ferb like me? You know you can't lie..." She warned flirtatiously.

Flirtatiously, gosh-darn-it! How could he have missed this kind of crap!

"Yes, yes he does. Which is why you shouldn't be flirting with me."

The bomb went off. One could see Isabella's face change from one of serenity- even happiness- to a stew of shock, anger, and perhaps even hatred.

She gaped. "You... You knew... You knew this whole time, didn't you?!"

Phineas opened his mouth to speak.

"Phineas, choose your next words very carefully," Isabella warned.

With that encouragement, Phineas spoke, "Ferb told me a couple of weeks ago. He told me not to tell you I'm not interested, but I guess it's a bit late now. I think you've changed your mind, anyway..."

Isabella calmed down a bit. "Yes. I guess I did. Wait, why wouldn't he want me to know that you don't like me? That would've made this all so much easier!"

"You can ask him later," Phineas shrugged. "In the mean time, can we just buy the sparkly stuff?"

"Sure," Isabella smiled, rolling her eyes.

As they walked home, Isabella thought of how quickly she changed her mind. She'd liked Phineas for six years, and had a complete change of heart in just a week or two. And Ferb liked her, too! How great was that? The perfect Valentine's Day, just like she'd wanted in the first place. As Phineas would say, how serendipitous!

* * *

Ferb was ready to kill Phineas. After forming an alliance with him in the bet, he went planning with Isabella anyway, leaving Ferb with no help at all. Sighing in defeat, he decided to gather some inspiration at BuildStuff. Looking at the paints, he saw a familiar sight- his brother and the love of his life, in a heated discussion, something about colors.

Now was his chance. Going over to the next aisle, he put his head next to the shelf, getting perfect audibility of the conversation.

"You have no idea how much he wants to spend Valentine's Day with you," he heard Phineas say.

Ferb's eyes widened in horror. _Oh dear God, why?_

"I mean, you know, the bet."

Ferb could tell he was scratching his ear. Why did he scratch his ear, anyway? Where had that habit formed? It was an automatic lie detector, as if he wasn't obvious enough already! Then again, he didn't lie very often... only when he really cared.

His thought process was interrupted by a sticky, sweet, honeysuckle voice interrupting in the most flirtatious, patronizing tone, "Phinny, does Ferb like me? You know you can't lie..."

_Oh, crap. Bloody hell. Trapped now._

"Yes, yes he does-"

_Phineas!_

"Which is why you shouldn't be flirting with me."

Ferb's eyes widened. _He's standing up for me._

"You... You knew... You knew this whole time, didn't you?!"

_Phineas, choose your next words very carefully._

"Phineas, choose your next words very carefully," he heard Isabella repeat angrily.

Ferb chuckled to himself. Phineas was screwed.

"Ferb told me a couple of weeks ago. He told me not to tell you I'm not interested, but I guess it's a bit late now. I think you've changed your mind, anyway..."

_What? _Ferb gaped in realization. She _liked_ him?

"Yes. I guess I did. Wait, why wouldn't he want me to know that you don't like me? That would've made this all so much easier!"

And... He was way out of line. Yay.

"You can ask him later. In the mean time, can we just buy the sparkly stuff?"

Sparkly stuff? Who thinks this is a good idea?

"Sure," Isabella replied reluctantly.

Ferb did a victory dance in his head (about as much excitement as one could get from him), ideas for the rest of the day popping into his head.

Ferb smiled to himself. He knew what he was going to do today.

* * *

**Remember to review! CartoonFanatic, your turn next :)**


	11. TheCartoonFanatic01 II

**I must be a terrible collaborator if I had to make Silver wait this long for an update. But, here it is, at long last, after such long work and distractions! ENJOY!**

* * *

His mind racing at high speeds as it unfolded his newest plan, Ferb went out into the front yard and pulled out his cellphone, quickly dialing a number. If he was going to execute his plan efficiently, then he needed all the firepower that he had at his disposal. He waited impatiently for the call to get through, and it did not take long until he heard a familiar voice respond. To his surprise, it wasn't the voice he was expecting, but it would have to do.

"Sup, Ferb," Buford replied, his voice muffled for some reason.

"Buford?" Ferb raised an eyebrow. "How'd you get 'Jeet's phone?"

"It's a long story that involves a whole lot of nachos. Why?"

"Never mind; I was hoping to tell 'Jeet about my plan, but telling you would be just as fine."

"Plan? What plan? You know I'm a sucker for plans!"

Ferb let out a sigh before beginning his explanation.

* * *

"Sure thing, my British man. I'll see ya."

With a nonchalant sigh, Buford finished the call with Ferb as he leaned further back on his seat. He and several of his football buddies were sitting in the Slushy Burger, eating the food that they ordered. One of his cronies glanced at Buford, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, as he listened to the entire conversation.

"Who was that, Byoof?" he asked.

"Oh, one of 'Jeet's friends, asking me to do a favor for him," replied Buford, shrugging.

"You said his name was Ferb?"

"Yep. So what?"

"And he's British?"

"Yep."

"By any chance, does he have weird green hair?"

"Yep, that's Ferb, alright. Him and his green hair. Why do you ask, Matt?"

Matt Jennings stood up from his chair abruptly, a strange expression etched on his face.

"Gotta go, guys," he said. "I've got an... errand to attend to."

"See ya, man," another one of Buford's friends replied, waving halfheartedly.

Matt immediately left, but Buford didn't give the sudden departure much of a second thought. Instead, he dialed another number on his cellphone. As he did so, Baljeet approached him, a tray full of nachos in his hands; the Indian boy looked evidently embarrassed, but he bowed his head to his longtime tormentor.

"Your nachos, my master," Baljeet greeted reluctantly.

"Thanks, my slave," replied Buford as he began his new call. "By the way, 'Jeet, Ferb wants us to fight, so be prepared."

Baljeet's eyes widened in horror, but Buford ignored it and grabbed a nacho, dipping it into sauce as he waited for the call to get through.

* * *

Back over at the Flynn-Fletcher backyard, Isabella, Phineas, and the former Fireside Girls were almost done with the preparations for the romantic dinner when the ringtone for suddenly filled the air. Surprised, Milly took out her cellphone and checked the number of the caller.

"Huh, it's Byoof," she said. She decided to answer it. "Hello?" It was silent for a few moments. Then... "WHAT?! THAT INDIAN BA- Okay, I'll come over."

Milly hung up and began muttering to herself. The others were looking at her with worried expressions.

"Uh...what happened, Mill?" asked Ginger.

"Oh, I'll tell you what happened, Ginger Hirano!" Milly snapped. "Byoof is fighting with your Casanova boyfriend! And they're really going at it!"

Ginger's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?! What are they fighting over?!"

"Over the connection between brain damage and football!" Milly crossed her arms in frustration. "Of all things! You really should teach 'Jeet in manners, Ginger."

"WHAT?! First of all, it's not my place to control my boyfriend's love of facts and information. And second of all... how did I become part of the problem?"

"You know how sensitive Buford is when it comes to criticizing football! But apparently Baljeet couldn't give a damn! He had to shove facts in his face!"

"Guys, guys, let's not fight!" Phineas exclaimed, stepping between the two girls before things could become more hostile. "Fighting isn't the go-to solution for a problem like this! Just go over to wherever Byoof and 'Jeet are fighting, stop it, settle your differences with civility, and just go along your ways!"

Milly blinked, then let out a calm sigh. "Yeah, you're right, Phineas. We should not fight. Sorry." She looked at Ginger. "Come on, Ginger, we gotta go over to the Slushy Burger and settle this fight. Byoof needs me to help him out, and I'm pretty sure 'Jeet needs you to do the same for him."

Ginger nodded in agreement before looking at Isabella. "Sorry, Izzie," she said, "we have to help our boyfriends out. You guys are on your own from here."

"Oh, it's okay, Ginger," Isabella replied. "You and Milly should go. I'll be sure to tell you how things turned out between me and Ferb."

Ginger nodded again before running out of the backyard with Milly. Seconds later, Holly's cellphone began to ring as well.

"Huh? That's weird..." she said as she whipped out her cellphone and responded to the call. "Hello? Oh, hey babe. ...Oh. Oh, I'm sorry I can't; I'm busy helping Izzie right now, so- Wait, what? Really? Oh... okay..." Holly hung up and looked at Isabella. "Izzie, I gotta leave too."

"Really?" Isabella was flabbergasted by these sudden departures. "Why?"

"Pedro needs help with retaking his Economics test, which is weird, because I don't recall him flunking the last test. But he's really concerned, so-"

"Go on ahead," interrupted Isabella, smiling slightly. "I'll be sure to tell you how things went."

"Thanks, hone."

Holly left the backyard, leaving just Isabella, Phineas, Adyson, and Gretchen. Isabella turned to the others, a smile still on her face.

"Well, I guess we lost three of our crew, but let's keep working, guys!" she exclaimed.

The others nodded in enthusiastic agreement and continued working on the dinner. However, when they were just about to finish, they suddenly heard the old fence door swing open. Isabella and Adyson looked up to see Jared walk into the backyard, undoubtedly regretting whatever decision that led him to be here.

"Oh, hey Addie," he greeted.

"Jared, what are you doing here?" Adyson asked. "And how'd you know I'd be here?"

"Small world, I guess. Hey, can you, uh, help me out? My car broke down in the middle of the street a couple of blocks away, and I'm gonna need you and your, eh, friend over there-" Jared pointed at Gretchen quickly. "-to help me out. I'm gonna need a couple of extra hands-"

"Yeah, right," interrupted Adyson abruptly.

Jared raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh?"

"You've always been a bad liar, Jared. What are you really up to?"

"Nothing."

Adyson narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her boyfriend, her green pupils staring at him menacingly. Finally, he gave in, sighing heavily.

"Alright, some guy called me and told me to get you and that other girl out of this backyard."

Isabella's attention was piqued. "Really? Who?"

"The guy told me not to tell anyone. He was gonna pay up too, and with real good money-"

Adyson sighed sharply. "Always in it for the money, Jared. Heh, it figures. Who called you?"

"I don't know; some guy named Frank. We met him before, though, at the bar."

"Frank?" Isabella asked, her suspicion suddenly raised. When he nodded, she added, "Did he have a British accent, by any chance?"

"Yeah. That's about the only thing about him I remember about him."

Isabella's eyes widened. Piecing together all the sudden departures by the other Fireside Girls, it all started to make sense. It just seemed very weird for all of them to depart in a matter of minutes while they were in the middle of preparing something exclusively for her and Ferb.

"Why that little..." she thought angrily. "What in the world is he up to, disrupting the preparation for this dinner?"

* * *

**Let's see where this goes. Next is Lilly-Belle again! Please review and PM.**

**P.S. I'll be updating everybody's favorite inappropriate Phineas and Ferb story this weekend for sure, earlier if I can. Sorry, it's been a rough couple of weeks, and I know you'd rather I write better chapters rather than a lot of crappy updates.**


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